Prince Sues 22 Alleged Bootleggers for $1M Each

Don't let the falsetto fool you. Prince has a reputation for vociferously protecting his intellectual property. Take it from the ruffles and palate for pepper, the man has a flair for the over-the-top, especially when exacting legal revenge.

The suit is against two individuals -- Dan Chodera and Karina Jindrova -- and 20 other anonymous users behind Websites like "The Ultimate Bootleg Experience" and "PSP Music Blog" for linking to bootlegged videos of Prince's live performances.

Copyright protection isn't limited to the song recording. You can also face legal action when you willfully reproduce and distribute bootleg recordings of performances of copyrighted musical compositions.

In this case, the defendants allegedly published posts that listed all the songs performed at a certain Prince live show and then provided a link to a file-sharing service where unauthorized copies of the performance could be downloaded. The majority of the links were on Facebook fan pages and Google's Blogger platform.

But is seeking $22 million appropriate? Or is the staggering estimate yet another bedazzled instance of Prince's penchant for exaggerated drama?

$22 Million in Damages

The copyright damages in this case quickly added up because of the scale of the alleged infringement and Prince's various claims for relief.

In addition to statutory damages, Prince is seeking other remedies, including injunctions to prevent future infringement, getting rid of the infringing material, attorney's fees, and profits the defendants made from the infringing material.